Life's A Bird's Eye
by ScherzoVivace
Summary: "Sign that contract, and you're mine." Atobe, a violinist and a son of an entertainment company, fell in love with a rock band leader at first sight. But she's already with Niou and they're just the cutest couple on earth. And there goes a nasty love triangle. *Niou's smexiness warning!* NiouXOCXAtobe
1. The Stubborn King

Life's A Bird's Eye

Chapter One: The Stubborn King

Normal Speech

_Thoughts/non-speech/flashback_

"Aahn~? And why are you asking Ore-sama, of all the people, to go to a mere underground rock band show?" A boy with purple-lavender hair and mole underneath his eye frowned and said, not looking away from the book he was reading.

"Come on, Atobe! It's the greatest underground band these days!" A boy with a short, magenta hair and straight bangs exclaimed. "Yuushi and Jirou are going with me! And so are Ootori and Ryou!"

"And what's the band name?"

"They're called Igni Five. There's one fricking hot lead vocalist and she's a craaazy singer!"

"Heh, how corny." Atobe scoffed. "The skills of those commoners aren't that high to begin with. I won't bother myself with it."

"Come on, Atobe, it's good to change some music to your ears time to time!" He exclaimed and slammed the table. "Plus, it's their third year anniversary, so they're gonna make it extra big!"

"Nope." He said. "The greatest music in a form of perfection is and has always been classical."

"I'm not telling you to not like classical, I'm just suggesting you to try this music out! Jeesh, I really don't get how stubborn you are with classical music even though your dad's the president of an entertainment company."

"Think however you like."

"Come on~ Just try it out this once!"

"And what's in it for me?"

"…What do you want me to do?"

"Hm… Then how about we play a game." He closed the book and started, amusement filled in his eyes.

"Wh-What game."

* * *

A sound of unplugged electric guitar rang out in a practice room. A girl, with a straight black hair in a ponytail and black eyes, was sitting down on a speaker with a music sheet next to her; after few strums she regularly jot down music notes.

When she was strumming something cupped her eyes, blocking her vision.

"What is it, Haru."

"Aw man! I thought I was real sneaky!" He yelled in disappointment. The boy was tall, slender, handsome—he had a light-bluish hair with a tiny rattail on the back and a mole under his mouth area.

"You're the only one who pulled this kind of thing for three years now." She said.

"Hm… That's true." He sat down next to her. "Are you composing again?"

"Yup."

"You already have a whole stack of new songs!"

"Doesn't mean I can't compose." She replied and jot some notes down again. "By the way, did Akaya get a new bass?"

"Yeah."

"How much was it?"

"Two grand."

"That much!" She freaked out.

"Come on, Miho, we've been earning a lot these days~" The boy, Akaya, yelled from the other side of the practice room. Miho just sighed.

"Hey Miho, let's go ahead and rehearse some more!" A boy with maroon hair, blowing on a bubblegum, said as he walked in with a tan boy who was bald.

"Okay, I'm going. We'll rehearse all~ night today, boys." Miho smiled rather evilly and they all groaned.

* * *

It was about 9 p.m. on Friday that week; Atobe, who was playing a little "game" in exchange of going to the concert, walked into a lounge concert hall that seemed rather small from the outside, but spacious on the inside.

"Man, there're already a lot of people!" Jirou exclaimed, looking around to find a good table. They eventually found a table and started ordering drinks.

"So, it's your first time coming to this kind of place, huh, Atobe." Oshitari asked.

"It is."

"How do you like it?"

"I don't like it one bit." He said, crossing his arms. "There are no lights, it's dim, the interior design is just poor." He pointed out all sorts of things he didn't like about the lounge.

"Don't mind him, he's just going on his aesthetic rambles." Mukahi scoffed and bat his hand.

"Let's just see if you can do the dare, shall we?"

"Fine! I can't guarantee you, though…"

"Then a week worth of caviar awaits me." At that Mukahi grumbled as Atobe gave him a smirk.

"But Mukahi-san, I thought the lead singer was notorious for not giving out any autographs." Ootori, with a very innocent voice, told him.

"I know, I know…! Dammit why did I do this in the first place! I didn't need Atobe to be here!" He clenched his hair and grit his teeth.

As of then people started walking in, filling in the spaces little by little.

Atobe was just surprised at how many people came to watch the concert.

* * *

"Check the tuning, and check all your extension chords!" Miho yelled in amidst of noises and busy shuffling of the staffs.

The musicians all checked their instruments.

"Haru, here." She handed him a bottle of water while drinking one herself.

"Ah, thanks." He then peeped out a little. "Wow, they're already here." He checked the time, which read 9:30; the concert did not start until 11 but people were already taking their seats.

"They are dying to see us." He grinned. "Thanks for these two years as a leader, Miho." He pulled her by the waist and gently kissed her, enjoying her tender lips touch his.

"No, no, here they are again!" Marui yelled, waving his drumsticks. "You look away for a second and they're sucking on each other's faces."

"We were making out but we weren't sucking each other's faces." Niou just laughed and quickly pecked her forehead again before letting her go. "Unless you really want to see what that looks like."

"No thanks." All four (even Miho) said in unison with a disgusted face. Miho just didn't want to make out in front of people.

"If you guys are jealous then get a girl." Niou said, sliding his fingers between Miho's hand, grabbing it firmly.

"I will, just watch. I will get it within this year, I promise you." Marui said determinedly.

"Good luck to that." Niou said and they all laughed while Marui playfully poked him with his drumsticks.

"And Akaya, especially, needs to get a girl too!" Marui put an arm around him and said. "You know, you're already turning 23, it's about time you get a real girl and start becoming a true adult." Marui drew an imaginary rainbow across Akaya's face.

"Ugh, stop senpai. You're the one who couldn't get a girl after high school."

"What didja say you little Wakame?"

They all laughed at this silliness;

"Oi Miho, the director wants us for a little sound check." Jackal, after receiving a message from one of the staffs, said.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

"Atobe, prepare to get your ears blasted." Mukahi said. "If you stay through this you're a true man."

"Hou… is that a challenge?"

"Maybe. Hey, it's starting!" He exclaimed as the lounge completely darkened; everyone was completely silent—

Then a huge sound of guitar chords, bass, keyboard, and drums rang out, surprising Atobe. As soon as the music flowed out everyone screamed and yelled.

"You ready!" A girl's voice rung out and everyone went crazy, yelling out yeahs and yes's. Atobe even saw this one guy next to him cry right after hearing the girl's voice.

_I had a dream_

_Where the moon was a square_

_I flew up to the sky_

_And spoke with the moon_

Atobe was rather surprised by the girl's voice. He expected some lousy, badly-tuned person to sing it but she was on pitch the whole time and she actually could sing.

_I woke up in the middle of the night_

_And I shook my wings_

_A duck can never fly_

_My mom scolded me_

_Now I'm really going to fly to the sky_

_I want to become the moon to shine and start dancing_

_I'll fly up to the sky and hold it in my arms_

_And spread these fabulous wings out_

_I'll dream however I want, so now let's go fly_

Atobe felt chills by the meaning the lyrics held and the girl's voice that suited very well to the music. He expected a whole different thing from that concert to begin with; he expected noise, noise, noise, and just plain trash.

On top of that, he always had the stereotype of thinking that all rock band musicians, if they can even be called musicians, had piercings, tattoos, ripped jeans, shackles, and spikes and whatnot. But this group—they were very conservative which Atobe could cope with.

Then Miho sang out a very high-pitched G;

'_S-Such range of vocal…!' _Atobe was awed .

The first song was over and everyone went nuts.

The girl—the lead vocalist and guitarist—grabbed the mike and began to speak.

"How's everyone doing tonight?"

"GOOD!"

"OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU HARAUE MIHO!" Someone next to Atobe, the same guy that was crying, yelled out. Atobe flinched, definitely creeped out.

"Thanks for coming to our Igni Five's 2nd year anniversary concert!" She said and everyone cheered. "With your support we came this far, having to start as just a university students' band… So thank you again, and here goes the next song right away."

The concert went on for hours, and Atobe just stood there, awed by this particular band.

A song past after another; curious, he asked Mukahi next to him:

"Who makes the music?" He had to ask because surprisingly it sounded pleasing to his ears.

"Of course the lead vocalist, Haraue Miho! Sometimes other members make it too but it's mainly her that composes."

"Everything?" He asked, a bit shocked.

"Everything. They're not in a management company or anything."

The last song was over and everyone started chanting encore. Then they did another song, and everyone wanted a second encore.

"Alright. So this is a rock version… of Michael Buble's I'm Feeling Good." She said as she started playing some chords on the piano that was set up.

'_She could even play piano…!' _Atobe took another surprise.

They sang the rock-jazz version of I'm Feeling Good, and it was a piece of art. At least that's what Atobe thought.

Atobe didn't think a guitarist would be also an excellent pianist—especially in jazz and blues which partly took genius in musicality for impromptu and hard, complex chords.

After the final encore, everyone exited the building. But Atobe's group stayed there until they could see the band walking out for Mukahi's dare.

After about 30 minutes in—

"That was great, guys!" Marui yelled as they walked off the stage.

"Yeah, I'm really tired." Jackal said. "But I can always go for a party~!"

"Yeahhh!"

"There she is! Go go go!" Shishido pushed Mukahi's back and he robotically walked up to Miho, who had a guitar case around her one shoulder.

"E-Excuse me!" He yelled out.

"Hm?" She stopped, noticing the boy and his crew just a foot away. Then she recognized a familiar face—

"May I have your autograph?" He bowed and handed her a piece of paper and a marker.

"Sure." She said. That day was exceptional because she was feeling good.

"Thank you! You don't know how much you've helped me!" Mukahi yelled, almost to his tears.

"Your name?" She scribbled—then, the members behind her whispered amongst themselves, looking at the lavender haired boy.

"Mukahi Gakuto!"

She scribbled fast and spoke:

"But I didn't expect a concert master of a famous orchestra, who didn't quite associate himself with the "low" a "commoner's" rock world, to come to our concert." She smiled and handed Mukahi the autographed paper, although looking at Atobe.

"And I didn't expect some underground band musicians to recognize me."

"Let's just say I'm not a picky musicians unlike someone."

"Well then." His eyebrows twitched a little. "I didn't expect a rock band to be this… normal." He said, scanning the five. No signs of tattoos, piercings, spikes—just a plain white (soaked) t-shirt and jeans.

"Well, I'm disappointed to let your expectations down, but we're not the same as what you commonly hold as a stereotype." She smiled back, retorting cleverly. "_If_ you can even call it a stereotype, judging by your narrow view in the music industry."

"Oi Miho, let's not face a guy like that. He's to stubborn for us to deal with." Marui tapped her shoulder and said. Miho nodded.

"Well, we have to go." She smiled again, slowly walking past them. "I hope our music somehow popped that classically elegant eardrum of yours. Then, have a wonderful night, gentlemen. Bye bye~" She slyly said and walked out.

Atobe, meanwhile, was turning red. Shishido was laughing his ass off and Oshitari was chuckling also.

"Why are you laughing!" He yelled, fuming in anger.

"N-Nothi—WAHAHAHAHA!"

'_That stupid commoner…!'_

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Here is my new fiction! I'm thinking of deleting some stories that I no longer have in mind to write, which I'll update on my profile page. **

**This one I just had to write before finishing other ones because I was afraid of losing this idea! **

**So Atobe, the stubborn self-claimed king, Haraue Miho, my favorite OC of all time, and Niou Masaharu, who is forever my love, will be in the spotlight!**

**Leave a review and thanks and love you all :) **

**-ScherzoVivace**


	2. Resonance

Life's A Bird's Eye

Chapter 2: Resonance

The five walked out to their car, cheering and chattering.

"Hahahaha Miho that was a nice one!" They all high-fived to acknowledge Miho's witty remarks.

"Did you see the look on his face? Hahahah!" Marui was laughing the hardest, for he liked Atobe the least out of the five.

"That stupid asshole. Does he think he's all that being a concert master? Che." Miho scoffed. "You can go kiss your conductors ass." She turned around towards the concert lounge and stuck her tongue out, making everyone laugh.

"I say we buy some beer before we go. And party." Jackal said, getting in the car after loading their kits in the trunk.

Niou got in the driver's seat while Miho sat in a passenger's seat; they turned up some nice, fun rock music and started driving away.

"So," Marui grinned. "Who's place?"

"It was always you guys' since it's bigger." Miho said. "Oh, let's get a cake before we go in!"

"YEAH CAKE!" Marui hyped up at the idea and bounced on his seat.

"Whoa Marui, you're shaking the whole car."

* * *

While Oshitari was driving, Atobe still sat on the car, fussing over that lead vocalist that humiliated him big-time.

"Is Atobe still pissed?"

"Looks like it."

Shishido and Mukahi whispered among themselves.

'_Hmph. Just who does she think she is? Probably some old, useless, passing-by junk musician.' _Atobe scoffed, regretting that he, for a second, thought that she was charming.

"Oh, hey did you guys know?" Shishido said. "Apparently they all graduated a really good college in America. I think the lead vocalist Haraue and the other guitarist and vocalist Niou graduated Juilliard or something."

"What?" Mukahi literally jumped up from his seat. Atobe's ear also perked up at that.

"And the other three, I don't know… I know they all went to a really good college."

"That's craaazy!" Jirou stared at Shishido in disbelief. "So not only is she a hot load of charm but also a smart musician!"

"That would explain where she gets all her compositions." Ootori said, amazed also.

"Seems so."

"That—would seem otherwise." Atobe said, totally refusing to accept the fact that they, such low commoners and junk musicians, graduated a good college—Juilliard at that. Only those who appreciate _real_ music go to Juilliard. Not some crappy, electronically-produced junk music players.

"If they did, why would they go around making such noise?"

"That, I don't know… but they're all super talented musicians."

"Niou, the one with the rattail is a genius at impromptu and transposing. And he's a one heck of a singer like Miho." Jirou said.

"And Jackal, the tan, bald one is the keyboard and synthesizer technician. He handles all the studio tech stuff." Shishido added.

"And Kirihara Akaya is a bass guitarist who can play saxophone and contrabass too. He's the latest recruit." Ootori added also. "Marui-san is craaaazy with drums! He's really really, really good. He was voted number one drummer in Japan."

"And finally, our sweet baby Miho is just a genius at music. She said she left high school to go to Juilliard." Jirou said, his eyes turning dreamy talking about her.

"Yeah, she refuses to do anything other than music. She didn't study for other stuff."

"So she's dumb." Atobe said.

"But that doesn't mean she's dumb! She's smart in music." Mukahi exclaimed and waved his fingers.

"It's a shame she has a guy..." Jirou sniffed a little.

"She has a guy? How did she get a guy?" Atobe frowned. "Who would want her?"

"Man, if those guys at the concert were here, you'd be dead." Mukahi sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah Miho and Niou are dating." Shishido said. "They've been together for a while."

Atobe felt his stomach churning a little. "So what I heard about fools dating fools was true."

"Haa... Atobe, you're so stubborn."

* * *

"TO IGNI FIVE!"

"CHEERS~!" They all raised their pitchers and clashed it onto one another, drinking it down after a tiring concert.

They chatted for hours until Miho finally brought out the cake they had bought.

"CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE!" Marui squealed in joy at the sight of a delicious cake.

"Alright you guys. Thanks for staying together for two years now." Miho began. "We are amazing, and this rock band's been the most important part of my life, so thanks guys."

"Thanks Miho." They all exchanged hugs and pats on the backs.

It was 3 A.M. and Marui, Jackal, and Akaya were knocked down on the floor after a few dozen cans of beer; while Miho got pillows and blankets for them, she noticed Niou, who was smart enough to moderate himself, sitting down on a bench in the balcony.

She got to the kitchen and heated up some milk and added honey, which was Niou's favorite.

The door slid open and Miho came out to the balcony, feeling the chilly breeze graze her cheeks.

"Here." She smiled and handed him the cup.

"Thanks." He smiled, taking the cup. He sipped on it. "Aaaahh… how come I can never get the right proportion of honey and milk? I can't make it taste as good as how you make it."

"It's called skill and magic."

Niou chuckled at that and put his arm around her. Her body was a bit cold.

"It's cold, right? Wanna go inside?"

"Nah, it's fine. You're warm." Miho leaned on his shoulder and Niou leaned his head on top of hers.

The two sat and enjoyed each other's company in silence.

"Hey, Miho." He called, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should debut any sooner?"

"…I don't know. I like as we are now." She sighed and said. "And we all know how messed up music industry is."

"Yeah. But from what it looks like the other three wants to debut at this moment. We already had some people try to scout us too." He said. "And…"

Miho looked up as he couldn't finish off his last sentence.

"Don't worry, your mom's hospital fees are all going to be taken care of." Miho assured him, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah." He smiled bitterly.

"Haru, you finally found her only a year ago. You _have_ to get her back in a good shape. We'll debut soon, so don't worry about the money, do what's best for her, and just keep doing what you're doing right now. You're doing amazing, buddy."

"Alright. Thanks Miho, you're the best." Niou lowered his head and kissed her. He slowly moved his lips and leaned on her to take a control over her body. As their lips moved more violently he plunged his tongue and Miho responded by licking the bottom of his tongue and quickly pulling hers out, making Niou frown and whimper in disappointment.

"Don't do that, you're really going to drive me crazy." He smiled and claimed her lips again. Miho just laughed into his kiss and he gently wrapped her waist with his arms. Then his arm slid under her shirt, feeling her soft skin—

"Haru, not here." She scolded but smiled nonetheless.

"I thought so. Then let's go back." He stood up and grabbed her hand and went inside.

Miho cleaned up some mess and checked on their members one last time, and headed out of their house. Miho and Niou's house was right next to theirs and they merged their garage to make it into a practice room of sort.

The two went in, and Niou took no time hesitating in claiming her lips. Niou pushed her into his bedroom, wrapping around her waist with his one hand and untying her hair with another.

He grunted a little as she rushed the pace a bit more; after untying her hair, he slid his hands beneath her shirt and took it off, revealing her slim, curvy body covered in nothing but her bra.

Miho lifted his shirt up to reveal a beautifully sculpted body—as they reached near the bed, Miho took her action first and pushed him down.

He looked up at her, mischievous grin covering his face. Miho climbed on top of him and started kissing him and undoing his belt.

"It's been a while since you've been this possessive." Niou grunted but let out nonetheless.

"Should I stop?" She smirked and said as she trailed down his ears, neckline, shoulder, and chest with her lips, kissing, sucking, and licking every other inch. Instead of a no, moan of pleasure and ecstasy escaped his lips as she traced down his abs dangerously lower and lower with her hand, then coming back up to his chest.

Unable to take anymore he turned her over and attacked her neck and shoulders. She sighed in pleasure as well as he trailed down lower and lower, tracing her chest with his lips and rubbing all of her body with his hand while his other hand undid her belt.

"Let's just say you're too sexy for me to not do this."

* * *

When light shone down at Niou, he naturally opened his eyes and was greeted by Miho's sleeping face. Her body was tightly attached his, his arms supporting her head and wrapping her by the waist.

A smile formed on his lips and he kissed her lips, then her shoulder, then her arm.

"Mm…" Miho woke up to the tickly feeling on her body.

"Morning, princess." Niou looked at her lovingly and said.

"Morning… What time is it?" She asked as she snuggled deeper into his neck and shoulder.

"It's only 9."

"Hm… Do you think the others are awake?"

"Probably not. They drank the whole box yesterday." Niou laughed. "Ugh… I'm hungry."

"Let's get something to eat then." She said as she slowly put her underwear on.

They went out to the kitchen after getting dressed;

"Um… Miho, I forgot to mention."

"Yeah?"

"You know that guy you kinda clashed with yesterday after concert?"

"Yeah, the asshole that dressed like some aristocrat to a rock concert?"

"Um… other than being a concert master he's the son of a president of AK entertainment." He nervously smiled.

"Oh shit. Really?"

"Yeah."

"..." Miho just poured her coffee. "Peh, whatever. Still don't like that asshole."

"But…"

"I don't care if he's a son of a company prez. He was an asshole and that's how I treat assholes. He can go fuck himself." At this Niou chuckled.

"That's my Miho."

* * *

Atobe was rehearsing with the rest of the orchestra; the music from the concert was still stuck in his head, unwilling to stop playing in his head.

"Atobe-kun, are you alright?" The conductor asked when everyone in the orchestra had their instruments up while he just stared blankly into the music sheet.

"…Sorry maestro, I'm not feeling well today. I'll head back and see you tomorrow." He packed his instrument and said, frustratingly.

"Alright, take care."

Atobe went to his house (rather a mansion) to cool his head a bit;

"Keigo-sama." His butler called him.

"Yes."

"Keibun-sama wishes to talk to you." He said.

"Alright."

He walked into a huge room in his mansion and found a man sitting in a big chair behind a big, ornate wooden desk.

"Did you wish to see me."

"Yes, I did. I heard from Yuushi yesterday—" he began, "that you went to a rock concert."

"I did, and I'm regretting it."

"Keigo, I heard from all your friends that you secretly liked their music. What's their group name… Igni Five, was it? I hear about them too."

"I did not. What are you implying?"

"I'm implying that I wish to scout them and that you'd help me do it."

"…"

"I heard that one of the member—Niou Masaharu—has a mother who's hospitalized. It seems that she needs a tremendous amount of money to get a surgery."

"I don't think they're worthy enough to invest our money into." He frowned. "And I doubt the other members will be willing to give out all their money to support his mother."

"Oh, but they're very close. Especially Niou and the lead vocalist. They're already planning for future, it seems."

His inside felt like it was churning.

"And all of the other members are extremely close to them as well; they're like a family, I suppose. So, in order to win them, we could lend a little help in exchange for coming into our care." Keibun concluded, pulling out a paper.

"This is their address and information." He handed it to Atobe which he reluctantly took. "After you're done with this task, you can take your hands off of this."

"…Are they really worth it."

"Yes." He said. "They produced an album by themselves—and it hit the Oricon chart first place a few times. You must know, Keigo, since you went to their concert yesterday. Stay true to your musicality and let your heart decide if their music is good."

"I understand."

* * *

**Can someone tell me why Niou's so sexy. QQ**

**Leave a review, and subscribe to follow!**


	3. That Asshole

Life's A Bird's Eye

Chapter 3: That Asshole

_Non-speech, flashback, thoughts_

Normal

Atobe secretly looked for a video of Igni Five's performance that he went to; his eyes were glued onto the lead vocalist and guitarist.

While he was watching, he felt something clogging on his chest. She was charismatic. Somewhat masculine. Somewhat delicate. And somewhat _sexy_.

"Dammit, what's wrong with me…!"

* * *

Miho was in the practice room, composing as always. Then Niou came through the door where Marui, Kirihara, and Jackal lived.

"Yup, they're down. I guess they'll wake up tomorrow morning like last time." Niou closed the door.

"Haru, come here and sing this for me." She said, gesturing for him to come over. He came over and took the music sheet in his hand—and sang.

"This sounds pretty different from other ones." He cocked his eyebrows and said. "It's sounds new… and good."

"Yeah. I'm thinking of using this as our debut album one." She said.

"…" Niou was in disbelief. "So you made this just for our debut album?"

"Yeah."

Niou smiled warmly and sat down next to her. "…Thanks Miho."

"You're always very welcome, my prince." She laughed and pecked his cheek. He gazed at her with loving eyes, then finally kissed her.

Just as he was about to get it going, his cellphone rang.

"This better be good." He grunted. "Hello?"

Miho just waited—and saw Niou's face turning white.

"M-Miho…!"

* * *

The two ran down a corridor and stopped in front of an emergency surgery room.

"Niou-san." The doctor called as he came out of the surgery room.

"H-How is it, doctor? What happened?" He asked with a frightened voice.

"They've just began. Niou-san, you can't wait anymore. She needs this surgery right now. The surgical team from America brought new equipment and tools. And you know what that means."

"…" Niou just stood there, unable to speak.

"If it's about money then we'll pay it no matter what." Miho stepped up. "When do we have to make the payment by?"

"It's usually three days but… I'll give you a week."

"Thank you doctor."

"Then, please come see me whenever you're ready. I'm sure her surgery will go fine."

The doctor left. Niou just slumped to the ground and Miho carried him onto a chair.

"Haru, don't worry. It'll go fine. You know she needed the surgery sooner or later."

"But two hundred million, in dollars…!" Niou exclaimed, burying his face into his hands. "We can't afford it…!"

"Don't worry about the money. We'll figure something out."

She knelt down in front of him and said, holding his hands. At that, he just nodded—and tears plopped down, one by one. Miho quietly hugged him until the surgery was done.

The two talked over about this situation with the other three the next day; they began calling entertainment companies, looking for a chance to make an official debut.

"I see. Alright. No, I'm sorry, we need way more than that due to personal reasons. Bye bye." Miho hung up, crossing out the second to last company name on the list.

"Well, we're down to one: AK company." Miho said.

* * *

"This is where they live…" Atobe mumbled as he got off his car. He walked to the front porch, towards the door, and rang the doorbell.

"_Keigo-sama. I've just been notified that Niou-san's mother had to get an emergency surgery today." His butler said. _

"_Is that so?" He said, not looking away from his book. "Do you think it's a good chance for me to go talk to them then?" _

"_Certainly, young master." _

"I'll go get it." Niou said and ran out to the door. He opened it—and froze as he saw a person standing at their door.

"Not picking up…? What kind of retarded company doesn't pick up the management office's phone?" Miho irritatingly ended the call.

"Umm, Miho?" Haru called as he walked in from the little hallway located near the door.

"Yeah?"

"He's… here." Niou walked in with none other than Atobe Keigo next to him.

"What are you doing here?" Miho abruptly stood up and went over to Niou and Atobe.

"Why, I just came for a simple proposal, dear brazen lady." Atobe said with a smirk on his face. "And I'm certain that you need our company the most as of this moment…"

Miho frowned and looked at Niou. Niou just smiled awkwardly and she sighed.

"Take a seat." She walked towards the living room and sat down on the couch. "You three, sit down. Can one of you prepare some tea or something."

At that Jackal went to the kitchen and the two sat down next to Niou and Miho.

"What's this proposal." Miho said, much like a statement.

"So I've heard that Niou-san's mother had to get a surgery, and that its fee is ridiculously expensive." He began and the four nodded.

It was true—no matter how popular they were, the most they could have raised over a 2-year span, unofficially at that, was only ten million.

Atobe spotted, from the corner of his eye, Miho squeezing Niou's hand tight.

'_Tsk.' _Atobe then got a sudden whim—_ 'Let's see if you're desperate enough to do what I say from now on.' _

"Two hundred million dollars… that's quite a burden. And I'm aware that the max price any company will be willing to pay is twenty million. That doesn't even cover one-tenth."

"We know that, so get to the point." Miho shot at him, strongly detested at his arrogance.

Jackal set the tea down and Atobe sipped on the tea.

"Well then. So I'm suggesting, we are willing to pay you up to hundred million, for the whole group." He said. They all seemed surprised at the offer.

"With everything included—taxes, transportation expense, everything—with a partial one million for your group to spend personally. And, you are guaranteed a 6-week vacation, and you won't work like a dog like other company's singers do."

"What about staying together as a group."

"You will stay together, of course." He said. "On top of that, copyright incomes are 20 percent ours, 80 percent yours."

They all seemed relieved and surprised. It was more than a generous offer. People would kill to work for this. Atobe took out several pages of contracts and a pen.

"If you sign that, I'll go ahead and call my supervisor to pay a hundred million to the hospital directly under your name." He said. Miho boldly took the pen and quietly signed it. Atobe checked, and called someone through his phone.

"Make the transaction." He said and hung up. Within a few seconds, Miho got a call—

"Hello?"

"_Haraue-san. I called to confirm your transaction. Hundred million, correct?" _

"…Yes. Thank you." Miho hung up and sighed.

"But what about the other hundred."

"I was about to get to that." Atobe smirked, and took another contract and put in front of Miho.

"I, personally, want to invest you and make you solely my property." Atobe said. They put on a puzzled look, soon turning into disbelief as they fathomed what he said. Niou unconsciously wrapped his arm around her waist and glared at Atobe.

"Miho. Don't. Do it." Niou said, glaring at Atobe, and the other three nodded also.

"But how will you get your other hundred million, maybe ninety considering your own savings? You can't possibly work with other company now." Atobe said, smirking and crossing his arms. "Just read through the conditions. I'll give you until today 6 o'clock afternoon, so come find me and tell me your answer. You'll know what I mean." He stood up, putting down his business card. "Sign that contract, and you're mine. You want to help Niou and the others, right? Even if they work 24/7 this whole year, hundred million doesn't roll in easily. Think carefully."

They were all bewildered; Atobe just left the house.

"Miho, you're not doing this." Niou quickly said, turning to her. She was quiet; what Atobe said was right. Hundred million doesn't roll in easily.

"I… I need to."

"Miho!" They all exclaimed. "That guy was going to buy just you! Who knows what kind of things he's going to do?"

Miho just quietly read through the conditions:

_Condition for next 1 month:_

_Be ready to report to Atobe Keigo within maximum of 20 minutes after phone call, night or day._

_Heed all orders and requests. _

_Live at Atobe's residence._

_To be completely under control by Atobe Keigo—covers everything. _

_Any sign of opposition by force will be considered as a breach of contract._

_In case any conditions are broken then Igni Five will be sued 250 million dollars._

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Marui exclaimed. "Miho, this guy's nuts. Crazy! Let's find something else to do."

"Yeah, this isn't very different from slavery." Akaya said, angry.

"Miho, I'm sure there's another way."

"No, he's right." She said, sighing. "We can't possibly get hundred million dollars by this week, even if we get loans."

"…" Niou just glared at her. "You guys. Miho and I need to talk." He said, and feeling the seriousness the tree left to their house next door.

"Miho, please, don't do this." Niou begged, squeezing her hands. "We'll find something else—but I don't think this is the right way. I don't know what he'll do to you; he said that he'll have complete control over you…!"

"Haru, there's no other way."

"I don't care!" Niou pulled her into his arms. "I don't want you under other man's control…! I don't want you living at his place!" His grip tightened.

"He's not going to do anything. I won't let him."

"Miho… please, don't go. Please." Niou desperately begged. "I need you with me."

"Haru, look at me." She lifted his head up. "It's only for a month. After that, we'll return to our normal life."

"…Atobe's intentions aren't clear. What if he's in love with you? What if he tries to touch you, kiss you and embrace you forcibly?"

"There's no way. That's a crime. And Haru—" she rubbed his cheek. "You're the only love in my life. So don't talk nonsense."

"…Miho… Because of me, you…"

"Stop saying that, stupid." She gave him a clout to his head. "…I'll pack up and go today. I'll call you as soon as I get settled."

* * *

Atobe was sitting in his office chair, waiting for the clock to turn 6.

"Keigo-obouchama. The lady has arrived."

"Let her in."

Soon after Miho walked in with a paper in her hand. Atobe got up and went to greet her; she slammed the paper on the table by the couches and glared at Atobe.

"It looks like you've decided." Atobe raised his eyebrows and gestured for his butler to leave the room.

"Yeah. I guess I'll be your personal slave for a month."

"Come on~ A slave is a little too extreme." He smiled slyly.

"But before that—" she grabbed the hem of his shirt and punched him, making him fall down.

"What are you doing? Did you not read the condition?" He yelled.

"I didn't sign it yet. It doesn't start until I sign it, you piece of fuck." She glared down, holding up the piece of her paper. "I don't know why you're doing this or why you agree to help us in general, but I'm doing this only for Haru and the others." She took the pen and signed it—and threw the paper to Atobe.

"There. It starts now, December 12th, 6:03 P.M. Better keep it in mind." She said and walked, rather, stormed out.

Atobe was bummed on the floor; he stared at the door in shock, then gradually started snickering.

"HAHAHAHA!" He laughed out loud.

'_Why the fuck is he laughing? That asshole.' _Miho fought the urge to go back in the room and pummel him as she walked down the corridor.

"Your room is right this one, Miss Haraue." The butler, who was very gentle unlike that asshole, stopped at a fancy double-door and said.

"Keigo-sama's room is right next to yours, connected by a door, for your convenience."

"Err, thanks." She said. _'Although that's really not being helpful.' _

She opened the door and walked in—and was amazed. It was a huge room with a huge bed, huge couch, huge bathroom, huge everything. Even in the closets there were already clothes pre-ordered for her.

'_What's the meaning of this…!' _Miho shouted in her mind as she looked through the clothes.

* * *

**HERE GOES THE ULTIMATE HATE-LOVE RELATIONSHIP! WHOOHOOO**

**Leave a review~! Oh and for the chapter 1 lyrics, I kind of translated this one song I know and it's not a complete copy. Just a disclaimer. **


	4. Their Past Part 1

Life's A Bird's Eye

Chapter 4: Their Past Part 1

Normal

_Flashback/non-speech/thoughts_

**English**

She plopped down on the bed and immediately took out her cellphone.

"_Hello?! Miho!" _Niou's urgent voice came from the other side.

"Hey Haru." She chuckled bitterly and greeted.

"_Did he do anything to you?!" _

"No, no. But I did. I punched him just before I signed the contract." She said, laughing.

"_Oh my god… that's Haraue Miho for you." _

"Yup. I'll have to talk to him about when I'm free to go there and practice."

"_Err, you see…" _He trailed off. _"His men came in and told us that we had to move to a different place. We're at this village thing kinda next to Atobe's mansion."_

"What?! When was this?!"

"_As soon as you left." _

"That sly bastard…" Miho cursed. Then there was a knock on the door. "Hey Haru, I'll call you tonight. Someone's here."

"_Alright. Be safe, Miho. Please… Love you." _

"Love you too. Bye." As she hung up she went to the door and opened it; the butler was waiting there.

"Yes?"

"Young master wants to see you at a dinner hall. He requested that you get dressed in one of the dresses in the wardrobe. I'll be waiting outside."

"…Alright."

She closed the door. _'That bastard just wants to eat dinner in amidst of this. Great.' _

She looked through the dresses and picked out a black one-shoulder dress. There were even make-up kits in the drawer and accessories and all sorts of beauty-related things.

'_This guys _has_ to be a pervert.' _

She got out to meet the butler;

"Why, Miss Haraue, you look stunning." He complimented.

"Thank you." Although she didn't like Atobe she liked this old, avuncular dude.

"Then, this way please."

She was able to look around the mansion slowly for the first time, and she thought it was big. Really big. There were portraits of Atobe Keigo and Atobe Keibun himself all around the walls as well as his ancestors.

'_What does he think he is, a royal heritage?' _Miho scoffed inwardly.

"We're here." The butler stopped at a huge double door. He opened it and revealed a fancy dining room with a huge table. Atobe was sitting on one end.

Atobe saw her—and it stunned him. Her body was tiny and white, and he could see her neckline and curves.

She walked in and the servants pulled out a chair for her across Atobe. They then poured some wine into their glasses, brought out food, and adjusted the lights, all too fancily.

After that all the servants in the dining room left, which Miho could cope with.

"You look beautiful." He said, smiling.

'_What the fuck is he trying to pull?! _Thank you." She just answered plainly.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" He laughed and asked.

"Nope." She said.

"I like that you're honest." He snickered. "But you don't have a choice but to cope with me for the next 31 days."

"Why did you want to do this." She asked, much like a statement yet again. Atobe leaned back on his chair and gazed at her face.

"Well, you're of the greatest value in the whole group, right?"

"Not at all. I just compose, that's it. Haru's the one with the greatest talent. He can transpose, impromptu on spot, and sing and play guitar."

'_Tsk, talking about that guy even here…' _He felt a little uncomfortable inside.

"Sure, that may be but you're the one who caught my interest. I've done a little… research. You and Niou graduated Juilliard, no?"

"…We did."

"And I heard that you two can practically play every single instrument."

"…Yes."

"Why did you decided to do… all this instead of pursuing instruments you two once then practiced? You two played violin back then."

"We didn't like old music. We wanted something new."

"Hou~ Something new, huh…" He rubbed his chin, leaned forward, and continued staring at her.

"Let's just talk about this contract, can we?"

"As you wish, my lady." He chuckled and retracted his body.

"What exactly did you mean… when you said to "have complete control" and for me to be completely submissive under your "orders.""

"I meant what it said." He smiled slyly, which drove Miho nuts. She could just leap off of her chair and blow a punch right to his face. "After dinner, you'll see what I mean. Now, let's eat." He raised his glass and she raised hers; their glasses clashed and they started eating.

"Don't be so hostile. I'll be just like another friend to you." Atobe said.

'_Like I'll trust that…' _

* * *

"I don't know, it was weird. We just had dinner and he asked about me and the band."

"_Huh… that is really weird. Still, don't let your guard down too much, Miho." _

There was a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it and found Atobe standing outside. She mouthed the word, hold on, and went back to the phone.

"Hello?"

"_Miho~ I already miss you~ I'm eating dinner all by myself cuz they all went out to go on a blind meeting…" _

Miho chuckled, surprising Atobe.

'_She knows how to laugh like that. Who's on the phone?' _

"I miss you too. Sorry Haru, I gotta go," when she mentioned "Haru" Atobe felt a bit irritated. "Bye. Love you."

"Was that Niou?"

"Yes."

"…Very well. Let's go."

"Wait, where…?"

"Shopping."

"Wait, if I go with you then…!"

"Scandal? Don't worry about it, I own the mall."

'_O-Of course.' _

He walked right and looked into the closet, flipping through the clothes that he had bought.

"I need to get you more clothes. Come, let's go."

The two went outside and got in one of Atobe's cars. Of course, it was very fancy compared to the mini-van that she and the members used to drive.

Once they got off Atobe walked right in—and no one was inside except the workers. Everyone bowed to Atobe as he walked by, making Miho feel very, very uncomfortable.

He finally made his mind and walked into a brand store, looking through the clothes arranged on the hangers.

"Try this one, this one, this one, and that one." He picked out dozens and gave them to Miho. "And all of those as well." And he ordered the worker too.

Miho didn't like shopping as much but it was Atobe who she signed under the contract. Might as well do it than pay up 250 million.

"Why are they all dresses…"

"Aahn~? Haraue, you need to treat yourself like a woman and a soon-to-be superstar. Now, get changed and I wanna see how it looks." He plopped down on the sofa in front of the fitting room and said.

Miho just sighed inwardly and walked into the fitting room.

"Try the red one first, I liked that one."

'_Okay, okay.' _Miho rolled her eyes inside and took her clothes off. _'WHAT THE—'_

"Oi, Atobe, this is too revealing." She stared at the dress in horror; it was just a strapless dress that had a cut to the thigh; definitely not Miho's standard of "covering."

"That's not that revealing. Just wear it."

'_I'll make sure I'll pay for this by the end of the month…' _Miho clenched her fists and put on the dress.

"If you're done come out and show me."

"WHAT!?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"F-Fine."

Miho opened the door and stepped out. Atobe was busy chit-chatting and flirting with a woman employee.

'_Che, of course he'd be doing that. _I'm done."

When he turned around to see her, he felt as if he's been shot by million bolts of lighting. He gapped his mouth wide open and sat still.

"I-I told you it was revealing."

Atobe snapped out and tried to cover his blush.

"Buy that one."

"Not after that reaction I won't."

"Just buy it."

"But it doesn't look good."

Atobe sighed, contemplating whether or not he should say it; but he ended up saying it. "It looks good on you, so just buy it, I'm paying for it."

Miho just sighed and went back in to change. She had to do that for an entire hour—changing and have Atobe inspect it. And funny thing was, Atobe was buying all of that for her.

While they drove back, Miho couldn't help but ask. "Why are you doing this?"

"Do what."

"Buy clothes. I feel like it probably cost over ten thousand at least." She glanced at the back seat all filled with clothes and accessories.

"I'm investing on my next superstar, so don't mind it too much."

"Yes, but I could buy for myself too—"

"I bought them because I wanted to, okay? So shush."

'_Che, what a jerk.' _Miho pouted and thought. But what still puzzled her was him "wanting" to buy all these for her. Why? He doesn't have to go all the way to paying for clothes to invest in a next superstar.

"Tell me about you." He said while driving.

"Huh?"

"Don't say "huh," just tell me about your life. From when you were born till now."

"Um… well… It'll probably sound shocking to you."

"I'm ready for it."

"Well, I was born as a daughter of a conductor father and an opera singer mother."

"WHAT?!" He yelped.

'_Told you.'_ She rolled her eyes and continued. "And I was raised up playing all sorts of instruments… I loved music so I talked with my parents and decided to just skip high school and go to Juilliard and continue studying music."

"So… you were going to be a conductor? A singer?"

"I was going to be a classical pianist and conductor. I was taught singing ever since I was little too."

"Why didn't you?"

"Like I told you before, I started to want something new. I practiced jazz secretly and I was busted. They opposed it no matter what, so I ran away from home."

Atobe was surprised that there's someone who'd actually run away from home. Why would you run away from home if you have all you want?

"Then after all sorts of troubles I met Haru."

* * *

_Miho barely stood on her feet and walked along the streets of New York, looking for a place to take refuge. She'd been wandering for three days, and she was dying from hunger and fatigue. When she turned into the corners of a dark alley, she finally lost her mind—and fell right on the sidewalk. _

"…_Hey, are you alright?" A boy with bushy, light-blue hair and a mole on his chin called her as he shook her a little. She was dressed in her formal-looking checkered skirt and a blouse with oxford shoes that were hard to walk in. "What's a girl like you doing here…?" _

_He checked her wallet which was pretty empty; it had her ID that said her name: Haraue Miho. _

"_So you're Japanese… Did you run away from home…?" He stared at her face a bit and concluded that she was his type. "I guess I'll look after you for now." _

_He lifted her up in his arms and walked into a building, into an underground lounge. _

"_**Hey, Michael, who's that?**__" The bartender asked as he served out drinks to the people. The lounge was crowded with loud music playing in the background. _

"_**I picked up a stray cat.**__" He smiled and went up the stairs, into his bedroom upstairs. His room was filled with musical instruments—saxophone, trumpet, piano, guitar…_

_He set her down on his bed and began taking her clothes off. While he was doing so, he noticed her fingertips with callouses. "So you're a piano player, eh?" _

"_**Mmm…**__" Miho groaned and opened her eyes a little bit. Then he found a face—right in front of her eyes, staring at her. "__**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!**__" _

"_**Whoa, whoa, calm down…**__" The boy blocked his ears and said. Miho shot up, noticed that her clothes were gone, replaced by a huge t-shirt, and covered her body with a blanket. _

"_**Don't worry about your clothes, a woman helped you get changed.**__" _

"_**Y-Y-You…!**__" _

"_**You don't have thank me for saving you, Miho.**__" _

"_**Save me?**__" She looked puzzled. The last thing she remembered was turning into a dark alley. _

"_**You passed out on the middle of the street. You know, it's pretty dangerous in this alley at night. New York's not the safest place at night you know~"**__ He yawned and sat up also. _

_Then the door opened and a woman, with blond, short hair in her late-20s walked in. _

"_**OW!**__" The woman who walked in gave a clout to the boy's head. She put down the tray in hand on the table next to the bed. _

"_**MICHAEL! You're not supposed to share a bed with a lady!**__" _

"_**BUT IT'S MY BED!**__"_

"_**STILL!**__" She growled at him then immediately put on a gentle smile towards Miho. "__**Hi, I'm Miriel. I'm the owner of this bar.**__" _

"_**I'm at a bar?**__" _

"_**Yes you are. Michael right here picked you up passed out in this alley. It might have been dangerous.**_"

"_**Oh… um, thank you.**__"_

"_**No problem!**__" The boy smiled and got off the bed. _

"_**So, Michael. I have to take a detour around the town, so watch the shop for me, 'kay?**__"_

"_**Alright.**__" _

"_**Oh, and Miho, was it? I'm washing your clothes after I got you changed. Don't worry, this kiddo didn't see anything.**__" She smiled and said. _

_Miho sighed inwardly in belief. _

"_**Um… how old are you?**__" She asked Michael. _

"_**I'm sixteen.**__" He answered. He was the same age as her._

"_**Do you… work here…?**__" Miho carefully asked the boy and the two just nodded. _

"_**I'm a musician here. I play on the stage.**__" He answered. _

"_**Then…! Please, let me work here too! I can play instruments and sing!**__" Miho exclaimed. Miriel and Niou just stared at the girl. _

"_**Well, I don't know, we could use another musician… But what about your parents? Aren't they worried?**__"_

"…_**I ran away from home. I'll never go back.**__"_

"_**Is that so… well, I won't ask since you're not so fond of it, just tell me when you can.**__" Miriel smiled gently and pat Miho on the head. "__**I'll talk to you this afternoon when I get back. First things first, go ahead and eat; you must be hungry.**__" _

"_**Okay. Thank you.**__"_

"_**You're welcome hon. Michael, you better treat her well!**__"_

"_**You know me~**__"_

_She closed the door and left; Miho awkwardly sat there, not knowing what to do. _

"_You're Japanese, right?" He asked first, breaking the silence. _

"_Huh? Y-Yeah." _

* * *

**Subscribe and leave a review! Ah man Niou's just too sexy *Q***


	5. Their Past Part 2

Life's A Bird's Eye

Chapter 5: Their Past Part 2

_Flashback/non-speech/though_

**English**

Normal

"_You're Japanese, right?" _

"_Huh? Y-Yeah."_

"_Thought so. Haraue Miho… so, let's eat. I'm hungry." He grabbed the tray and brought it to her. _

"_What's the matter?" _

"_My fingers won't move…" _

"_Don't worry, I'll feed it to you!" He happily grabbed a piece of bread, dipped it in clam chowder soup, and put it towards Miho's mouth. She reluctantly took it and chew; her eyes started brimming with tear and she soon sobbed. _

"_There, there, it's all going to be fine." Michael hugged her and pat her head and she just cried into his arms. She took an unusual comfort in the boy's arms; his body was broad and firm, his arms strong, and mostly, comfy. _

"_I don't know what happened, but I'm sure there's a reason why you ran away." _

"…_My mom and dad was forcing me to become a classical pianist." She started explaining and the boy just listened, feeding her and himself time to time. _

"_I started to practice jazz after playing classical music for sixteen years, and my dad immediately threw out all the jazz music scores I kept. I told them I didn't want to go after classical music anymore, and they said that I have no choice. So I ran away." _

"_Hou… so you ran away because of your freedom to play music?" Niou stared at her in an amusing way. "Heh, you're pretty impressive!" He ruffled her hair and said, grinning with his teeth showing. _

"_Huh…?" _

"_That's pretty cool for a girl to just run out like that!" He laughed. "I mean, you don't seem like the type." _

"_That's kinda true." _

"_So, do you plan on living here?" _

"_I don't know… I've got nowhere else to go." _

"_Then you can stay with me! There's only one residential room in this building… I'm living alone too." _

"_Really? I could do that?" She asked, grateful and excited. _

"_Sure, I'm sure Miriel won't mind." _

"_Okay!" _

"_And you said you wanted to work like me, right? I'll teach you some cool stuff. Oh, and before that…" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Let's go shop for your clothes." _

"_I've never been shopping." _

"_WHAT?!" _

_Miho just stared at him with innocent eyes. _

"_Man, your parents are real Asians, aren't they?" _

"_Yeah… I had no friends since I needed to practice piano right after I got home." _

"_I'll be your first friend then! Now, let's go out and get some clothes." _

"_Alright." _

_After they ate, Miho got dressed in Niou's gym shorts and a baggy t-shirt and went outside to the streets with him. _

"_Um… do you usually… dress in those goody-goody girl clothes?" Niou asked as they walked down the road. _

"_Yeah. My mom picks out my clothes." _

"_Huh… well, I know just what you might like. A converse, skinny jeans, and t-shirt is just fine." _

"_Converse…?" _

_Niou groaned at this sheltered girl. "You'll see." He grabbed her hand and led her down the street. Miho's attention was on the hand that was connected to Niou; but she felt happy that she was able to make a friend. _

* * *

_-A Year Later-_

"_**HARU! GIVE ME THAT!**__" _

"_**NO WAY!**__" The two ran around the empty bar with Niou holding the last piece of chocolate in his hand. Miho gave a final dash, and tackled him—_

"_**Ow, ow, ow…**__" Niou groaned and clenched his head. When he opened his eyes, he was on top of her._

"_**Aaahn**__." She put the chocolate in her mouth._

"_**NOOOO!**__" _

"_**Bleeh. You had your last piece PLUS my other pieces. Jeesh, trying to steal my last one…"**__ She stuck her tongue out and stared up at him. _

"_**Then give me something else**__." He grinned playfully and slyly. _

"_**Give you what?**__" _

"_**This.**__" Niou quickly pecked her on the cheek and got off, running away in order to avoid further danger. _

"_NIOU MASAHARU!" She yelled, fuming in anger, and the two began another chase. _

"_**Huhuhu, it sure is good to be young.**__" Miriel said and chuckled while chatting with the bartender. _

"_**Those two are made for each other. I just hope either of them confess already!**__" _

_After a year, the two were renowned as talented musicians of the bar; people came to hear them play jazz, rock, blues, and were amazed by the young talent. The two wrote their own music, transposed famous songs and adapted them._

_They mostly spend their time on front of the piano, sitting down together, composing music during the day, performing the mastered music on the stage during the night. _

_Niou had taught Miho how to play the electric guitar; in return Miho taught him how to play the piano to a professional degree. _

_Miho and Niou were still living in that same room; it served as a bedroom, and time to time dining room and practice room._

"_Hey, Haru?" She asked as she turned to face the boy on the other side of the bed. _

"_Yeah?" He turned too, facing her._

"_It's about time we enroll in college. We're 17 already." _

"_What kind of ideas do you have in mind?" _

"_I want to seriously study music. I say we audition for Juilliard. It's not too far from here, we could just get a two-bed apartment nearby so that it's not too far from this bar either." _

"_Juilliard? But that's only for classical musicians, isn't it?" _

"_I heard that they have contemporary music too. And if we can play jazz and blues they still listen to it." _

"_Hm…" _

"_I've collected lots of money now… it's enough to rent a room for myself." Miho determinedly said. _

"_That's the same here. Wanna give it a shot?" _

"_Yeah! Thanks Haru, I knew you'd do it with me!" _

"_Of course I'd do it if my princess does it." Haru grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. And the two fell asleep, awaiting for a more promising tomorrow. _

_The next day, during store hour, Miho and Niou were getting ready for a performance as usual. They played thirty minutes of music every hour, three times. It was their last shift and they were thinking of getting a cold drink (non-alcoholic!) after. _

_However, what they didn't realize was a certain special person sitting in one of the seats at the front of the bar. _

'_**They are young, as I've heard…**__' The man thought, looking at the two carefully setting up the stage. _

_Once the music started, the man's eyes did not seize glinting in awe and amaze. _

'_**Can't believe they composed all this! They're ingenious! What's more, they both have complete mastery over vocal and their instruments…! And most importantly, they're having fun with it!' **_

_They played out their pieces for thirty minutes, received tips and applauses, and got ready to clean up and leave. _

"_**Excuse me, Michael and Miho?**__" The man called the two. _

"_**Yes?**__" They both answered as they came down from the stage, carrying the guitars on their backs. _

"_**Nice to meet you, I'm Werner Heinsknoff. I came here to listen to you two and I'm about to suggest you two a big deal. Will you hear me out?**__" the man said, inviting them to his table. _

"_**Sure.**__" The two coolly accepted and sat down. _

"_**I must say, I'm very amazed. Do you really compose all the music?" **__He asked and they nodded. "__**Both of you?**__"_

"_**Yup.**__"_

"_**My, my… so here's my deal. Juilliard's been hearing about you two for a while now… I'm from Juilliard and I want to scout you two, annual scholarship guaranteed until you graduate.**__"_

"_**REALLY!?**__" They both exclaimed. The man chuckled and nodded. _

"_**Actually, we've been thinking of auditioning for this year.**__"_

"_**That's great! Then I assume you have decided?**__"_

"_**Of course! Thank you very much Mr. Heinsknoff!**__"_

"_**Then, I'll send a mail to this bar later regarding information. Then you lovely couple have a good night.**__" He said and left the bar; the two sort of blushed when he called them "lovely couple." _

"_MIHO!" _

"_HARU!" _

_They screamed in joy and tightly hugged each other. They ran up to the speech, grabbed a mike and shouted out: "__**WE'RE GOING TO JUILLIARD!**__"_

_And all the people in the bar clapped and cheered. Miho and Niou once again tightly hugged each other—except, nothing they ever did before happened. _

"_Miho…!" Niou caressed her cheek and descended down onto her face—and their lips met. The two kissed deeply, and Miho was just confused and surprised. But she didn't hate it. Everyone blew out a whistle and cheered and hollered. _

"_Wha—wha!" Miho just gapped at him as he dragged her off the stage. _

"_**LET'S GO CELEBRATE!**__" He screamed and dashed out of the bar, tightly holding onto her hand. "__**SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW!**__" He made the last announcement before exiting the bar, still earning cheers and whistles. _

"_**Have fun~**__" Miriel giggled and waved. __**"Aaah, it is sure good to be young~**__" _

"_**It looks like they're making some progress.**__" The bartender laughed as well, proud of their little Miho and Niou growing up together. _

_Niou and Miho skipped out of the bar and headed straight to their favorite restaurant to grab their delayed dinner. They ate an expensive meal and visited the Central Park._

"_Um… Haru?" _

"_Yeah?" He asked, still happy and jittery. _

"_Wh-What was that back there?" She asked, fidgeting a little. _

"_What was wha—OH!" He gasped. Miho just stood there with an awkward smile. The two stopped walking. _

"_Miho, I've always wanted to tell you this. I'm sorry, I kinda got the orders mixed up… how uncool of me." Niou smiled awkwardly too and said, facing her. Then he took out something from his pocket. _

"_I was actually going to do it today, but…" He opened the box. "Miho. I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, very straightforwardly. _

_Miho just gapped at his face and the necklace inside the box. She broke into a smile and hugged him. "Yes!" _

* * *

And so their life at Juilliard began; the two rented a two-bed apartment nearby and attended the same courses, never leaving each other's side.

Miho's mouth form a very gentle, soothing smile at the memory; Atobe, meanwhile, was slightly disturbed that she smiled in a such way by mentioning Niou.

"Then, how did you meet the other three?" He asked after a long silence.

"I met Marui and Jackal at this one rock concert. Marui went to New York University while Jackal went to Columbia, so we were able to meet each other often." She explained.

"What about the youngest?"

"Well, he's been with us for a year. We recruited him after a year of our garage band activity. He was a fourth year student at New York University back then."

"They all went to good colleges."

"Yes. They're all brilliant."

The two got off at the parking lot.

"Ah, and one more thing." Atobe stopped in front of another one of his collection of cars.

"Yes?"

"This is your car for now." He handed her a key.

"...Huh?"

"This car. You can use it until you get your pay at the end of the month."

"Thank you...?" She said, a bit suspiciously.

"Just use it. And don't wreck it. You have to pay for your own gas."

"Alright."

Miho returned to her room after saying thanks to Atobe for his preparatory gifts and the car.

_'Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?'_

* * *

Miho woke up as her cellphone rang.

"Hello...?" She picked up with half-asleep voice.

_"Good morning princess~" _Haru's voice came from the other side. Miho smiled, happy to hear his voice.

"Good morning... you're up early."

_"It's already nine o'clock, Miho." _He chuckled.

"Hm... oh yeah, do you want to meet today?"

_"REALLY!?" _He yelped, startling her. Now she was wide awake.

"Yes. I assume the others are drunk."

_"Yeah. They came home really late last night." _

"Well then, I'll see you in front the house at 11."

_"Alright!" _


End file.
